A former restaurant manager from Conway, S.C., admitted that he used physical violence, threats and intimidation to compel an intellectually disabled black man to work for more than 100 hours a week for years.
Bobby Paul Edwards, 53, has pleaded guilty to one count of forced labor and faces up to 20 years in prison, according to the Justice Department. He also will have to pay a fine and restitution to the victim.
Court records show the intellectually disabled man, John Christopher Smith, had worked at J&J Cafeteria as a dishwasher since he was 12 — originally working for pay. But when Edwards took over as manager of his family’s restaurant, he stopped paying Smith, who according to court documents has an IQ of less than 70.
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